Council expected to admonish mayor, send issue to grand jury

STOCKTON – The City Council is expected to publicly admonish Mayor Anthony Silva for prematurely releasing the name of a city manager candidate.

The Record

STOCKTON – The City Council is expected to publicly admonish Mayor Anthony Silva for prematurely releasing the name of a city manager candidate.

The council also wants to send an account of his actions to the county’s civil grand jury, saying his derailed the hiring process and embarrassed Stockton, a city report said Friday.

On direction from the council in closed session Tuesday, City Attorney John Luebberke drew up the two-pronged punishment, accusing him of a Brown Act violation. The City Council will vote on the action Dec. 3.

The unusual measure stems from Silva's behavior Nov. 5 when the mayor released to the media the name of Coachella City Manager David Garcia before confidential contract negotiations had concluded. The leak created confusion and Garcia backed out, Luebberke’s report says.

Earlier this week, Silva publicly threatened to take legal action against Luebberke if he tried to keep him from exercising his right as mayor to lead the city manager search.

Read Sunday’s Record for more on this story by staff writer Scott Smith.